#love it when they continually show support for the lgbt community

[ihaveanaxe]

Yall can we all just collectively agree by now that A Very Potter Musical is the original source material and everything in it is canon, and Harry Potter the book series was a really weird, long fanfic written by a terf that the fandom treats similarly to My Immortal? Can we make AVPM official and Harry Potter My Immortal?

[blackypanther9]

If you had a girlfriend and came out to Alastor – Father!Alastor x Teen!Daughter!Reader

To Anon: Hi there, Nonny ! You see I did some research and apparently in the roaring 1920s there was a “Pansy Craze” (a period of increased LGBT visibility In American culture and New Orleans belonged to the USA since 1803, so it could have also affected them in my researches). From the 1920s to 1933 people from the LGBTQ community performed on stages in Cities around the world. So I thought, maybe they knew and I decided to make a TWO in ONE Oneshot, just to make it a bit fair. One where Y/n found out she was lesbian when she was alive and one when she was in Hell. Just in case someone wants a Human Version too. I hope that is not an issue for ya ! ^^’  Without further ado and my nerdy, scraping over the surface knowledge....I hope you enjoy this Oneshot and I hit your expectations with this ! QwQ

TAGLIST: @meg-giry1 @wen01203

(Drawing belongs to rightful owner)

Words: 6 864

Human Version:

You were nervous beyond belief. Why ? Your Father, Alastor Hazbin, the infamous Radio Host, wanted to meet your Lover. Many would be excited, of course, but your case was different. VERY different. Your Father assumed that your Lover was a man, that you somehow got without him knowing, but it was a woman...just like you. You were so very scared of your Father’s reaction.

For weeks you could hide it from him, your dirty little secret. At least you hoped you could, but he knew you were sneaking out a lot, lying into his face with where you went, you were bad in lying. He could read you like an open book.

For three years you knew that you were a lesbian. Men never interested you in any way that would have screamed love. But females ? You saw one once and she was so pretty that your heart started to do flips, when you talked to a pretty girl, you would stutter which you usually never did. These signs were enough for you, to test something and the results showed, that you were indeed...attracted to woman. Your own gender. Fuck.

Your beloved partner, took your left hand into her own, gently. You looked at her and she gave you a smile, to try and encourage you. After you finished your test, by asking her out, just to test a theory, the two of you became actual Lovers and you were happy, just sneaking around and stealing kisses. Now this could all end abruptly. You took a deep breath. You tightened your hold on your Lover’s hand, to ground yourself.

“Here goes nothing...”, you muttered.

You lifted your hand and knocked at the door of your home. Alastor practically locked you out and said he will only let you back inside again, if you let him meet your Lover. No talking yourself out of it.

So you went to her place a scared mess and explained the whole situation. She calmed you down and agreed to go instantly. The faster this is over and done with, the less you can work yourself up about it.

The door swung open and the face of your Father greeted you both, big smile on his face, which dimmed as he saw you and your partner, assuming she was just your friend.

“Cher...who is this ?”, your Father asked, never having met your Girlfriend before.

You took another deep inhale, while your Lover continued to hold your hand and squeezed it affectionately, supporting you the best she could.

“D-Dad...C-can we c-come in ?”, you asked in a nervous stutter.

Alastor looked at you both in concern, knowing this was something heavy and serious to you, so he stepped aside and let you both enter the house. You both just stood in the living room after you took off your shoes. Alastor gestured to the couch, while he went to the kitchen to make some tea and a coffee for himself.

The both of you sat down and you started to shake and sweat. Your partner gave you an affectionate hug.

“Calm down, Love. I’m sure he won’t hate you.”, your Girlfriend said softly.

You looked at her, shaking like a leaf.

“W-what if he...disowns me...? I-I just want his support. W-what if he won’t...accept me ? Accept you ? Accept us ? I love you, but I also love him. I don’t want to lose my Papa. He raised me for years, Darling.”, you whispered shakily.

She hugged you tighter and ran her fingers through your hair, kissing your cheek.

“Don’t draw crosses on the walls just yet, Love. You told me so many stories about your Dad, that I am almost certain, that he will at least try and adjust to this. You said he always made sure that no man will hurt you, never let any of them take you out on a date...maybe he will be glad you are not into men anyways.”, she tried to comfort you.

You looked at her and kissed her lovingly. She really was your rock right now. You were so scared and nervous, that you didn’t even think of that possibility. Your Pa was always gentle with women, but rarely with men. Maybe he will accept this... Hopefully...

Soon enough Alastor returned with two cups.

“I made Peppermint tea. I hope it will calm you down, Cher. You look ready to bolt away and cry.”, your Father said gently and set the two cups down in front of you and your Lover.

“Th-thanks...Papa...”, you got out.

He saw how much you shook. You looked like you were about to cry for hours and it worried him deeply. Did something happen ? Was your friend with you, because your Lover decided to dump you ? Was he abusive ? Did Alastor have to go on another killing spree ?

He returned with his cup of Coffee and sat down in his armchair. He looked at his daughter with worried eyes, still filled with adoration and love for his little girl.

“Mon ange (My Angel), what happened ? Why are you so nervous ?”, your Father asked gently.

Your Lover squeezed your shoulder gently, encouraging you to come out to him.

“Y-you wanted to m-meet my L-Lover...right, Papa ?”, you stuttered out, wringing your hands in an aggressive manner.

Your partner took your hands into hers and squeezed them, trying to avoid it that you hurt yourself. Alastor nodded.

“Did he hurt you ? Do I have to get police involved ?”, he asked you.

You shook your head and then clammed your mouth shut. Your anxiety was skyrocketing.

“Drink a sip of your tea, Cher.”, your Father suggested gently.

You shakily reached out for it and as you took it, Alastor saw how violently you shook. You almost spilled your drink while you sipped on it. After you sipped enough, you felt a bit calmer, but still very scared. You looked at your partner, who nodded and gave you and encouraging smile.

You looked at your Father again, took a deep breath and then tried to not look so scared. He admired your urge to try and act fearless, but he knew how spooked you are, so he didn’t understand, why you steeled yourself so.

“Pa...I never courted a man.”

Relief and confusion rushed through him at that. No one hurt his little girl, then why were you so scared and here with your friend ?

“Then why are you so spooked, mon petit (My little one) ?”

“I...I said I never courted a man...I didn’t s-say that I was-wasn’t courting someone though, Papa...”

Your hands were clammy and sweaty, the urge to run, cry and vomit was so strong. But SHE grounded you. Your Lover grounded you. This was your Dad. He was always there for you. He might understand... You hoped.

“Then who are you courting, Cher ?”, Alastor asked a bit confused.

You took another deep breath, griped your partner’s hands tighter in your own, sat up straighter pushing your chest out a bit to try and show your confidence and gave your Father a determined look. He was surprised by how strong you try to be now, as if he will yell at you any second.

“Papa...You wanted me to introduce you to my beloved. I introduce you to my Lover. Her name is GF/n and she makes me happy.”, you blurted out, looking from her to your Father again.

His eyes were wide, his smile closed. His eyes swapped from you over to your Lover, then back to you. He looked at his Coffee.

“Am I really drinking Coffee right now ?”, he asked himself.

“You are, Papa. I’m serious.”, you told him, voice a bit weaker, lacking some confidence.

He looked at you again and your Lover.

“How long has this been going on ?”, he asked you, his voice a bit...off sounding.

You started to freak out on the inside, your confidence falling apart. He didn’t take it well, did he ? He is angry... He will kick you out. He will yell. He will shout. He will disown you. He will-

Your Lover squeezed your hand gently and you looked at her. She gave you her charming smile again, nodded gently and flicked her eyes from you to your Father, motioning you to answer him.

“We...we have b-been together fo-for...6 w-weeks.”, you stuttered out.

Alastor looked at you and set his Coffee down, not drinking it at all. He leaned forward.

“How did it start ?”, he asked.

“I-it started as an ex-experiment, r-really. We-we didn’t ex-expect the re-results...”

“Cher, stop stuttering so much. Now, tell me what experiment that was.”, he pressed.

He was actually curious, but his little girl was such a mess. Maybe he sounded a bit...cross ? He really didn’t mean to come off like that, but he was still processing all of it and he wanted to know everything, to see if you were forced into this or not.

You suddenly clammed your mouth shut, looking away, scared. You couldn’t say it, you weren’t brave enough. You tapped your Lover’s thigh gently, telling her to tell him. You were unable to.

She looked at your Father and lifted her hand softly, catching his attention.

“If I may...Y/n’s nerves are all over the place, which made her shut down on us. If you wish, I can tell you how it happened, what the experiment was about, Sir. Only if you wish to. Y/n...she is very nervous and scared.”, your Lover said.

He crooked his head to a side.

“Why would she be nervous and scared ?”, he asked.

“Well Sir, as you may know...not many approve of people like us. I tried to encourage her that you won’t be angry with her. I mean...she told me many stories about you and they were all good, you two barely argued about serious matters, you protect her from many things, you help her out with many things, which she returns as a favor and more. I tried to tell her that you most possibly won’t disown her, for being attracted to the same gender. Now that the cat is out of the bag, she is afraid what your reaction will be.”

He leaned back into his armchair and looked at you. So you were scared that he will yell at you...or worse. He sighed gently and looked at your partner, gesturing for her to tell him what the experiment was about. She nodded.

“Your daughter noticed small signs of her...sexual attractions. She was never interested in men, which she found odd, because no matter what type of man walked up to her, she found no interest or appeal in them, but with women...it seemed different. Quicker heartbeat, stuttering, finding interest in some women, finding them pretty in a different, less appropriate way...you name it. One day she met me and she wanted to experiment around with me. I work in a small bar and some knew that I was just like your daughter, not interested in men, but women. She heard about it and she found interest in me, so she asked me if I would be willing to help her in her own experiment. I agreed and we started to go out together a few times, each time it was beautiful. The more we continued her experiment, the more we fell in love with each other, until she asked me, formally, if I would do her the honors to court her. She was so shy and adorable about it too, some flowers, a package of chocolates and a small handmade scarf. I said yes and we have been courting formally for 6 weeks now.”

Alastor looked at her very interested as he heard her side of the story. You smiled gently at the memory, blushing slightly. Your Father noticed, but decided not to point it out. His smile didn’t drop, but it was a bit more genuine. He looked at you again.

“Cher, how long have you known, that you were interested in women ?”, he asked gently.

You wiggled around on the couch, uncomfortable.

“W-well, with all the signs I had...I suspected it already. If we would go only after the time I assumed this case, then it would be three years by now. When it was fully confirmed...since three months now. I experimented around with GF/n for two months, before I asked for her courtship.”, you answered, still awaiting his shouts and anger.

You were surprised as you heard your Father chuckle in amusement. You looked at your Father and saw his genuine smile, warmth and love in his eyes.

“Now, Cher, why would you ever assume that I would yell at you, for finding Love ? It may be frowned upon in the open, but for Heaven’s sake, if you love her, then you love her. What’s the big fuss about anyways ?”, he said with warmth in his voice.

“Wait...so you...you support me ?”, you asked with shyness.

“Indeed I do ! If she makes you happy, then who am I to stand in your way of your Love life, Cher ? You may be my child, but I am not controlling your life and what you fall in love with. Look at me, Cher ! I am not even married, never found the right one for me ! Hahaha !”

A big smile grew on your face. Your Lover smiled happily as she saw you light up, which also made your Father smile wider. He stood up and opened his arms for you.

“Come here, mon petit.”, he said.

You got up and ran into his arms, hugging your Papa tightly. He wrapped his arms around you too and swayed a bit back and forth, something that comforted you all the time. Happy tears escaped your eyes.

“I love you so much, Papa. You are the best.”, you said into his chest.

He smiled warmly at that and looked at your partner. He opened one of his arms and smiled gently.

“Come on, join in !”, he encouraged her.

She got up and joined into the hug. You felt so full with love and affection from the two people that meant the world to you.

“But just so you know, GF/n...you hurt my little Angel and you will have to answer to me.”, Alastor threatened.

Just because your Lover is a woman, doesn’t that mean he will be nice, if she breaks your heart. He will kill her and you knew that. You knew that you had to make sure you can trust her with that information, so she won’t spill. Because if anything happened to either of you, your Father would make sure they will be dead.

She would find out eventually, so you needed to make sure that she can be trusted with this.

Alastor would look after you and your Lover.

He fully supports you two.

If you would ever want to marry, he would give his blessing.

If the two of you ever argue and you tell your Dad, he will try to help you both sort everything out. He would calm you down and then talk with your beloved, to try and get you two back together and whoever was in the wrong, would get a scolding from him.

Your Father would never force you to marry a man for reputation, status or anything else, not even to cover up your relationship with your beloved.

If someone ever forces themselves on either of you, he will kill them, you just need to tell him.

If anyone finds out about it and wants to use it to their advantage to break you two apart, soil your names or even force one of you to marry them and have children, he will murder them in the most brutal way possible.

He will never arrange marriages with anyone for your hand, no matter what. He rather dies.

If anyone that was close to him knows about your sexual attractions and tells Alastor, he would kill them, after proudly admitting that he knew and supported it. He only left those alive, that didn’t mind it and were happy for you, just as he was.

He would fully support you and your significant other to adopt a child, if you two felt ready for it. He would even gladly help you two out.

At some point the three of you would sit down and Alastor would confess with you that he was the Bayou Killer.

Your Lover would swear secrecy and help if they needed it, after hearing that Alastor only killed those that deserved it. She also might have admitted that she already knew with the few kills that happened to certain men that harmed the both of you.

After Alastor would die, the two of you would continue his work and keep your children safe, if you have any. Otherwise it is to protect each other and other people that were innocent and would get tainted otherwise.

When the two of you die and land in Hell, you would actively hunt down your Father, while he did the same. His Father senses would immediately pick up on your arrival in Hell and he would start a search party.

You would all happily live together and catch up on what you missed from one another’s lives. You three would never split again and Alastor would help the both of you to become Overlords.

Hell Version:

You had no idea that you were lesbian, when you were alive. You just always believed what your Father told you. That you hadn’t found “The right one” yet, like him. But it was so much more complicated.

If you thought back to the past, you should have realized it way sooner. How you felt drawn to other females, how you were suddenly such a mess when you talked to a beautiful woman. You never felt attracted, nor interested, in men when you were alive. Yu thought you were straight, but actually...you were homosexual.

Just to make sure, you started to date a Demoness, behind your Father’s back. After all....what would he think of you, if you got together with a Demoness ? A darn woman ? You didn’t really wanted to find out.

The Demoness you dated was beautiful. She was caring, loving and sweet to you too. She didn’t give a fuck who you were to the public, nor who your Father was in public. Sure, she was hesitant when you approached her and told her about who you were and who your Father was, but she still accepted to help you with figuring your sexual attractions out.

The more you two bonded, the more you two fell in love with one another. You shared stories with her about your Father, which made him sound like an absolute Sweetheart in private, so she was more intrigued to meet him one day, than scared. You said you want to keep it a secret from him, which she softly agreed to, seeing your worries. But...all things must come to an end... Which lead you to a few months later.

You never told your Father, you were sneaking around. The two of you worked in the Hazbin Hotel and you would usually just sneak out at night, when the Hotel was closed, without your Father interrogating you.

You were scared beyond belief, by just thinking of telling him that you are a lesbian. He accepted Charlie and Vaggie as a pair, sure, but none of the two were HIS kids. You were his Daughter and he probably expected better of you, than to fall in love with the same gender as you.

Who was your Father ? Alastor, the Radio Demon.

You knew that your Father was an Ace, or better an AroAce, you found that out a while ago with Rosie by your side. He was never straight. He was Aromantic and Asexual, which, honestly, didn’t help you to be brave enough to tell him that you were Homosexual. It actually made it even harder.

Your Dad doesn’t even know he was an AroAce and he still had no idea what that term even meant. Rosie told him only once that he sounded like and AroAce and he asked her what that was supposed to mean. She never elaborated and you felt awkward telling him, so you didn’t.

The day had been stressful and you were already looking forward to sneaking out that night, just to see your Lover, GF/n. You just wanted to cuddle with her and tell her all about your stressful day, then fall asleep in her arms.

It was 1 in the morning ad you decided to leave. You left your room and tiptoed through the halls, to the stairs, tiptoed downstairs and then to the front door. You left quickly and quietly. You didn’t use your powers, because your Dad would have picked up on it and then could have tracked you down.

What you didn’t know, was that you weren’t as sneaky as you hoped. Alastor knew you were sneaking around at night and that night he sent his shadow after you, to spy, while he read a book in his room. He was concerned what you did at this unholy hour and why you didn’t tell him.

You walked for a while, until you were in Zestial’s turf. Then you stopped at a house and climbed through an open window, landing in the living room. You looked around and then closed the window gently, sneaking into the hall and then up the stairs, stopping at a door, opened it and entered. Inside the room, was your Beloved, reading a book. She stopped reading and looked up, smiling happily as she spotted you, which made you smile brightly too.

She closed her book, put it on her nightstand and got up. She rushed over and hugged you tightly, which you returned.

“Love ! How are you ?! You are late, I was worried you won’t come over today !”, she chirped, happily.

You chuckled and squeezed her gently.

“My Father was a bit longer than usual in the main Lobby and I can’t use my Magic to sneak off, he would track me down, Love. I’m so sorry.”, you answered her.

“It’s okay ! So ? How was your day ?”, she asked and lead you to her bed to sit down, next to her.

You groaned.

“Stressful. I don’t know how Father managed today, honestly ! Charlie had us all running around like headless chicken and the new exercises she wanted to do, were so many at once and so chaotic ! To top it all off, Pentious’ egg boiz blew holes into the ceiling and almost destroyed the roof ! Angel decided to get so wasted that he kept bothering my Father, who was close to blow a fuse and Vaggie is still staring daggers at me, because I am brutally honest with Charlie ! To end my charming day, I was left with a lot of paperwork, from Vaggie, for talking her Girlfriend down, even though I just tried to help and be honest ! It was the double amount my Father had gotten !”, you complained.

Your Lover frowned at that and started to sit behind you, massaging your shoulders, who were stiff and tense. You sighed and hummed, as she tried to loosen up your muscles.

“That really didn’t sound good. Nor is that Vaggie fair. She needs to understand that her partner also needs harsh reminders about reality. She is the Princess of Hell, but she is way too kind to get anywhere. She isn’t using her authority, nor her Power to make people stop seeing her as a joke. Coddling her won’t help her.”, your Beloved said gently.

“That is what I told her TWICE this week ! She doesn’t give a fuck ! Everyone is making fun of Charlie and she still coddles her, instead of telling her to be a bit more aggressive ! If this continues then they can shut down the Hotel entirely !”, you groaned.

She continued to massage your sore muscles and hummed gently.

“How is your Dad fairing, Love ?”

“He is managing better than me, I can tell you that. I was about to blow a fuse as Vagatha threatened me with her spear and cussed at me in Spanish. He was just so close to blow one today, that he decided to hide in his room and get to work on the papers, he is assigned to. Sometimes I am at a loss that he can still keep his smile up ! In his eyes stood pure annoyance today, while in mine was rage to see that I barely kept at bay ! Honestly, at this point I am unsure if I want to keep helping ! I just get backlash anyways !”, you scoffed.

Your Lover hugged you tightly from behind, calming down your boiling anger.

“I feel so bad for you two, Love.”, she said softly.

You sighed.

“There is not one day where we have some peace and quiet. How am I supposed to come up, with a speech, like that ?”, you said in defeat.

“You actually plan to tell him ?”, your Beloved asked you gently.

“I can’t hide this from Papa forever. I am surprised that I got away until now. But I have zero time to ready myself for the possible heartbreak I will go through.”, you muttered out.

She let go of you and kissed your neck.

“I think he will accept you still, even if you are...different.”, she tried to cheer you up, “After all, he accepts Vaggie and Charlie too, right ?”

“Hun, that is different.”

“How so ?”

“Vaggie and Charlie are not his children. I am his Daughter and I feel like I will disappoint him, when I tell him that I know now....why I was never interested in men. Yes, my Papa can be very laid back about a lot of things, mostly when it is me. But that doesn’t mean that he is alright with everything that I do and say. You have to remember that we lived in the 1920s, he lived through the late 1890s until the early 1930s, while I lived in the late 1910s to the late 1940s. Anything besides being straight was heavily frowned upon back then. Either you were straight, or you were a dysfunctional human being to the society.”, you reminded her.

“And you think your Dad will hate you for being...you ? He is an AroAce, that is what you said, with the Overlord of Cannibal Town, Rosie.”

“Cher, he has no idea what an AroAce even is.”

“Wait...none of you told him ?”, she asked in shock.

“Rosie didn’t elaborate, hoping he would research the terms himself, now that he has a label on him that he doesn’t know the meaning of and it was too awkward to me, to tell him. He always thought that he just didn’t find the right person. Imagine his world falling apart when he finds out that he was AroAce the whole time. I didn’t want him to have a breakdown about it. I can only imagine how sad he would be.”

“Now, now. Just because he is AroAce, doesn’t that mean he is incapable to be happy.”

“I know, but...at some points he HATES being different from others. I know so. I was there and at nights he thought I was asleep, he was crying. GF/n...he was hurting often and hid it behind a smile. Earth wasn’t kind to him...nor is Hell. He tries to hide it, but I know his big heart. I know that he is hurting even more and I am worried about him. He is my Papa, I love him very much. I hate to see him hurting so much.”

She gave you a sympathetic look and then a kiss on your cheek. You looked away and took a deep breath.

“As much as he would HATE to hear it...I wish he would have gone to Heaven after death. Heaven would have been kinder to him, he could have reunited with Grandma and...he would be carefree now. Here in Hell...he has to be the opposite. Hide behind smiles, show no weaknesses, be coldhearted...All this...isn’t my Papa. He is a very kind soul, but he can’t show it. And I hate that so much. He is always full of worries and fears, but he never lets anyone know. Not even me. It frustrates me, because I can see the pressure he is trying to carry on his own shoulders, all alone. He refuses help and he tries to do everything alone. He is going under in all the stress he tries to hide, he is suffering so much from it that it makes him a little crazy. I have no idea how to help him out.”, you vented.

“Have you ever asked him ? Spoken about these matters ?”

“I tried. Every time he avoids the subject ! He shuts down as soon as I try to get him to talk to me, so I can help and don’t have to watch, helplessly, how he slowly falls apart !”

Alastor’s smile was small and strained. You knew that he was very troubled. He thought he hid it well from you. He should have known that you could read him easily. After all, you grew up around him, as his Daughter.

But now a lowlife Demoness knows this too, the one you vented to. That won’t do...

He still didn’t pick up on you being Lovers. He couldn’t look through his shadow’s eyes, only listen in. He had to go and kill her when he has time.

“I tell you what. Tomorrow, I will come over to the Hazbin Hotel for a visit. You and I will tell him together about you....issue and then we try to make him open up about his own problems. It is not healthy to carry all your troubles on your own. You always need others to be stronger. Your Pa is making himself an easy target. The mind is a fragile thing, even down here.”

“Are you sure that he won’t...hate me ?”

“You told me so many stories about him and what a Sweetheart he can be in private, that I am determined to say that he won’t hate you. I am 100% sure he will still love you.”

Alastor tuned out after that, already planning her death, while the two of you made out and then decided to go to sleep.

-The next day-

You teleported back to the Hazbin Hotel, appearing in your room, after you gave your Lover a kiss. Venting to her yesterday helped you immensely. You took deep breaths, to calm down and then got ready for the day.

Charlie had you running some errands to get food stocked up, which took you a few hours. As you returned you were just informed that Charlie needed you to fill out important formulas for the Hotel, as the door opened. Everyone turned to the door in the Lobby and saw your Beloved.

“Oh my gosh ! A new guest ! Hello, I’m Charlie ! Do you want to get rehabilitated ?!”, she swarmed your Beloved and not letting her come to word.

“Actually, she is here to visit me.”, you said, coldly, to Charlie, not liking her hands on your Lover’s shoulders at all.

Charlie’s smile dropped and she sulked a bit.

“Oh...”

You approached them and pulled her into your embrace, giving Charlie a possessive glare, as you held your Beloved.

“Mine.”, you said.

Your Lover blushed and smiled brightly.

“Hun, please....”

“As if she would be willingly with you ! You are an Overlord and the Daughter of the Radio Demon ! You don’t have a heart that shows love ! What did you do to her ?!”, Vaggie accused and you glared at her, tightening your grip on your Beloved.

Your Partner glared at Vaggie.

“How about you shut your mouth, before I shut it for you, Vagatha ? Don’t you DARE to speak to me Beloved in that way !”, she snarled in anger.

Everyone stared in utter shock at the two of you. You smiled happily and kissed her cheek. As soon as you two parted from one another, your Father appeared in the Lobby. You looked at him in nerves, while your Lover kept a cool head.

“What is all this commotion about ?”, Alastor asked with a laughing track.

“Vagatha was a bitch towards your Daughter, is all, Sir.”, your Lover answered him politely, still glaring at Vaggie.

He looked at Vaggie.

“Is that so ?”, he asked dangerously calm.

Then he turned to your Lover again.

“And who might you be ?”

“My name is GF/n, a pleasure to meet you, Sir.”

“The pleasure is all mine ! The name’s Alastor, the Radio Demon !”, he greeted back happily.

Until now it seemed to go just swell. You cleared your throat.

“Papa...can we talk in private ? You, GF/n and I ? It is...urgent.”

“Why, of course, mon petit !”, he said happily and then teleported the three of you to his Radio Tower.

“So, what do you want to talk about, that is urgent ?”, he asked you.

You wrung your hands in nerves.

“W-well....you remember when we talked about my disinterest in men, when we were alive ?”, you asked nervously.

“I do, indeed ! I said you just didn’t find the right one yet ! Why ? Have you found him ?”

“W-well...it’s more...complicated, Papa...”

He cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“Oh ?”

“You see...I am...not straight...?”

Now he got nervous. What do you mean you are not straight ? He knows you meant that you aren’t Heterosexual, but what are you then, why are you so scared to tell him ?

“Continue...”, he said, his voice softer.

“I never noticed the signs when I was alive, Papa. I found it all out here in Hell and GF/n helped me to figure it all out. Along the process...we fell in Love and it had been going on for months now, we trust each other deeply, so please don’t be mad when I tell you that she knows about you a bit. I always snuck off at night, because I was scared you will be angry with my sexual orientation, so I wanted to keep it a secret until I knew how to approach you. The Hotel didn’t make it that easy and GF/n offered to support me today to tell you, because I vented to her all my worries yesterday and all my stress and Iamalesbian !”, you quickly ranted out, too nervous to speak calmly.

There was a deadly silence in the room, after you finished. Your Father was trying to catch up with everything you just ranted out so quickly. As his brain caught up with what you just confessed to him, there was a loud record screeching sound and he stared at you in shock.

“You are a WHAT ?!”, he asked in shock.

He wasn’t angry, just shocked that you found it out earlier than he did. He didn’t even know until now. You flinched.

“I...I am a Lesbian...Homosexual...”, you got out shakily now.

Your Father sprung up and rushed to you, before you could react and hide somewhere, he pulled you to his chest into a almost bone crushing hug, which shocked and surprised you.

“Oh, Cher, those are such WONDERFUL news ! You finally figured yourself out ! I’m so proud of you !”, he said happily.

“Wait...you...aren’t mad ?”, you asked in awe.

“Why would I be, mon diable (My Devil) ?! These are the best news I have ever heard ! You found love, my Dear ! And you found out your taste ! Who cares if you like the same gender ?! Why were you so afraid to tell me that ?”, he asked, his real voice coming out.

“W-well...we both lived in times where it was heavily frowned upon... I thought you wouldn’t be happy with me and so...I was too scared to tell you. I feared you would disown me...”, you said softly.

“Mon petit diable (My little Devil), I would never disown you, for being yourself. You don’t have to hide anything from me, Cher.”

He then looked at your Lover.

“Can I be assured that you won’t use anything you know against us ?”, he asked her.

“I would never want to hurt my Beloved. I love her with all my soul.”, she told your Father.

He hummed.

“Alrighty then. I am glad that I don’t have to kill you then, for knowing too much.”

“Daaaaaaaaaaaad !”, you moaned out annoyed.

“I had to make sure that she knows that she isn’t safe just because you two are courting.”, he defended himself.

“Don’t chase my Lover away, Papa !”, you scolded and smacked his right arm, playfully.

He chuckled.

“I would never, mon petit. Now ! Would anyone explain to me what in everything unholy and AroAce is ? And why I am supposed to be one ?”, he asked.

You shifted around uncomfortably.

“I will gladly do so.”, your Beloved answered and you all sat down.

Alastor would be shocked from the news.

He would be delighted to see you finally had a Lover.

Would be happy that you finally figured yourself out.

Would support you.

Alastor would be very protective of you and threaten your Lover that she isn’t safe from him, if she fucks up.

He would keep an eye out on you two.

He would never hate you for coming out to him.

Anyone tries to hurt you two, they will answer to him personally.

If the two of you argue, he will try to find the root of the issue and try very subtly to get you back together.

He would support the both of you through everything and anything.

Alastor would help your Beloved to become and Overlord after she proved herself to be worthy of you, to him.

If you two want a biological child, he will help you two out with his Magic. All he would need is a small doll, crafted to look how you want the child to look like and from each of you a vial of blood, then his Magic would do the rest and you would have a Hellborn child.

He would help you raise your kids and be a great Grandpa.

Alastor would rope Rosie in to be their Auntie. Best friends and all that, plus, Rosie loves kids.

If you want to ever marry, he would give you both the green light, as long as he can lead YOU to the altar !

If anyone has a problem with you two being together, let him know. He will gladly have a snack~

You would warm up to your Girlfriend/Wife and show his softer side to her, just give him time. After all he knows you want her to be treated like Family, he just wants to make sure that she is the right one for you.

He would fool around with your Beloved after he warmed up to her and get very protective of her, just like he was with you.

Alastor would help her out in surprising you with small to huge things.

He definitely would gossip with her about anything and everything, even talk about his past with her.

Your Father would put a lot of effort into getting to know her, her getting to know him and to bond with her.

Best Dad in the world, even if he planned to kill your Lover in the beginning.

A/N: I hope this is good and you won't be mad that I also made a Human Version ! At least then no one can demand for it, because it already exists. *Lol* Two flies with one smack !

Masterlist HERE !

[bengiyo]

She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat 2 Eps 17-20 (Finale)

Last week gave me everything I wanted and more. The whole squad went over to Yako's place for a curry party and everyone had a great time. Later, Nagumo got a diagnosis for her condition and got to have personal time with Yako. Kasuga and Nomoto continued to work on their communication and making sure they aren't trampling over each other. They're continuing to work on this move. Seriously, we had a curry party and a s'mores party last week. We planted strawberries together. Let's finish this.

Episode 17

Looking for housing is so stressful. I was wondering if we'd get into housing discrimination in this.

Red beans in Japan are different from what we eat here. Theirs carry a naturally sweet profile that doesn't mesh well with creole cooking.

I feel like those beans needed to boil longer, but that's me thinking in my home cooking terms.

Yes, ladies, tell each other how happy you are to see each other.

@furritsubs thank you for the note about Azuki beans.

I'm really enjoying the way they're handling this situation. The realtor wasn't trying to be homophobic, but the systems he was upholding with the landlord references reinforces the status of same sex households. I also like that they acknowledged how circumstances closet people in ways that hurt them. This is good payoff from the news bit we saw earlier in season with Kasuga.

Getting a tasty treat in before going back into the fray is so valid.

Kasuga being even more affectionate about Nomoto's food now that they're dating is exactly what I wanted.

Episode 18

Oh fuck yeah, let's continue to unpack how structural homophobia makes people scared to share something that should be a joyous occasion.

Amused that Yako is the primary person using Nomoto's given name.

Are we going to have a takoyaki party next??

COME THROUGH, YAKO!!! You gotta help your folks get through this bullshit, but never let them forget that it's bullshit!!

I am relieved that we checked in with Ms. Fujita about divorcing her husband at the same time as we're working through LGBT housing issues. Single divorced women likely also face huge challenges in housing when marriage is the goal we're being pushed into.

Wow, Sayama, you are in contention for the Yihwa Best Girl Award this year. You are an ally. Love the way she examined how what she said might have been hurtful.

Feeling like you somehow failed because you didn't get married in your 20s is so real. I sometimes struggle with this in my 30s.

This show uses its characters to illustrate its political points in a way that feels gentle and accessible, but also carries a sense of urgency. Women are facing extreme reproductive pressure right now, and it's clearly not making those who don't already want husbands and children happier. Hell, it's making them resentful to the point of divorce as they get older.

Hold on. Gotta cry a bit about Nomoto telling Kasuga that being told outright that hiding who they are upset her made her feel better got me.

Episode 19

Takoyaki Party let's goooooo!!!

A party where you cook together like this is always so much fun. We had fun with some friends' kids a few weeks ago teaching them how to make pancakes and letting them add their own toppings before, during, and after cooking.

Nagumo managed to enjoy a bite of food with them. Hold on. Crying again.

We've seen takoyaki a few times lately, and I am very impressed with this cooker.

Yako, tactful as always, is gonna check on Nagumo. I love her.

This is so important. Couple formation does affect the friends around them, and I'm really glad Yako let Nagumo voice that she supports her friends even as she knows she's going to miss the dynamic they've had. Yako is so right to point out that a change doesn't mean it's over, and their friendship will last if we all continue to reach out.

This realtor scene is so good. I like how politely she asked for them to disclose their relationship with the express purpose of securing ideal housing, and we're getting into how the financing of housing can affect people's privacy. She's also owning that landlords can discriminate against couples. I also appreciate that their meeting room was private.

I'm ready for the moving in party!

Episode 20

They got the house!!

A crab cream croquette party!!!

Wait, where's Nagumo? I wanted her to try a croquette too!

We are on the bed together. This is not a drill.

Yes, let's acknowledge that they have liked each other since season 1.

The intimacy question is on the floor!

They are finally hugging!

NOW KISS!!!

That was very sweet, and felt right for them. I'm glad they had that moment in the old place before they moved.

Cried because of Ms. Fujita and Nagumo possibly getting hired.

So glad Yako and Nagumo are still hanging out! That's really how some friends groups will be. Two people will just gel at a party and grow close.

Oh hell yeah we're at casual intimacy now.

I'm so excited to see where the TV goes next season!!

Oh my goodness Kasuga is wearing a lighter sweater!!!!!!

Final Verdict: 10, Go Watch This Immediately and Then Show it to a Friend. Seriously, do not make excuses for yourself. You owe it to yourself to watch this show. Between this, Ossan's Love Returns, and What Did You Eat Yesterday? coming back, we cannot stop supporting our shows about older people getting together and forming their own forms of family. This show built on the foundation of its first season and made every little detail feel so potent and impactful. I did not expect the pen pal to grow into a trusted confidant and core member of this friend group, nor was I expecting the women at the supermarket to help Kasuga as much as they did. This season was excellent, and will be joining WDYEY on my comfort watch rotation.

Big thanks to @furritsubs and friends for making this watch possible.

[hellrices]

Menendez Brothers Case

Ok I just want to touch on the topic of the MONSTERS show once again to just say fuck Ryan Murphy, I mean holy shit. Not only does he portray an actual real-life case incredibly inaccurately, but this is what he had to say when the ACTUAL Erik Menendez called him out on it

How much of a shithead do you have to be to first of all, take an actual case where the people involving it are still alive and well, and turn into some incestual, aggressive drama fantasy of your own and when the people that the case concerns TELL you that it's full of lies, you come out saying they're just "playing the victim" and should be sending you flowers??? Disgusting. And the fact that the show (especially the actor who plays Lyle - Nicholas Chavez) is encouraging people to dress up as Erik and Lyle for Halloween is sickening. These are actual people and this was an actual case regarding the murder of two incredibly wealthy individuals and the abuse that they inflicted on their children. It is not to be treated like the latest Halloween trend.

Now concerning the actual case, I realised the more I researched about it, the angrier it made me so I just need to rant about it right now (My last post was mostly regarding the trial sessions but I really can't stop thinking about the actual abuse they'd suffered throughout their home life.) I have to say though, it's absolutely disgusting and appalling that an ACTUAL statement that was made by the prosecution (Pam Bozanich) was that "Men cannot be raped as they lack the necessary equipment to be raped." Along with an outrageous insistence that any type of sex that occurred between Jose and his children was not forced which is absolutely untrue - Lyle mentioned that Erik had it so bad that he considered his brother to be a suicide risk and Erik himself admitted to having suicidal desires and terrible coping methods. He would wait till he was home alone to scream till he was trembling and stick pins, needles and tacks into his thighs just to feel the pain and often dissociate as he was being assaulted. Erik also said that he, at a very young age, created a persona for himself. "The Hurt Man", to try and separate himself from the situation when his father would take advantage of him. He would use this nickname for himself in his mind all the time and the only purpose of this 'hurt man' was to get hurt. He felt that he was protecting his mother and family by getting hurt in place of them. (Which honestly, breaks my heart. To imagine he was under 10 years old when all of this was happening makes me sick to my stomach.)  Erik also often questioned his sexuality because of the continuous assault that took place and his father who was the one to rape him, went around calling him slurs and spewing homophobia towards him. (Which I mean, holy shit- how can you ASSAULT your own child to the point where he drowns his food in lemon during every meal in hopes of distorting his sense of taste so it would be less painful during the rape and turn around and make fun of him for "being gay" (Erik was not gay by the way but is increasingly supportive of the LGBT community)) Even to find out that both the brothers thought they were protecting their mother by enduring all this abuse at the hands of their father instead of her - only to find out that she had known the whole time??? I can't imagine the despair at finding out that your own mother didn't give a shit about your father having raped you for 12+ years. Both brothers said that in that moment, they saw both their parents as the same person and couldn't differentiate them in their minds. It's heartbreaking knowing both boys absolutely loved doting on their mother just because she was less abusive than their father. But the fact of the matter is that she was a horrible mother. She would drink all day, starting about every afternoon and had mental breaks very often where she would scream, flail her arms about, throw things at anyone near her and completely ignored everything Jose was subjecting the boys to. Lyle also testified that she would sexually assault him as a child (As far as I'm aware, she didn't do the same with Erik). Both parents would beat their kids and left no room for privacy, often snooping through Erik's journals and being intensely intrusive and controlling.

Here are SOME incidents of abuse (not sexual in nature) which really show how their parents would go OUT of their way to make sure all their kids lives were a living hell  (Keep in mind, this is not including all the times they brothers would be beaten up by their parents) : - Whenever he spotted a ditch or cliff on the side of the road, Jose would drive towards it and put his knees on the steering wheel and put his hands up, seeing how long it would take for Erik to grab the steering wheel and turn it away from the ditch/cliff as a way to measure Erik's bravery (The longer Erik would sit with the car going towards the ditch/cliff, the braver Jose considered him to be) -Erik confided in his mother about his fear of the dark and monsters hiding in his room. In response his mother locked him in the basement while his father tormented him from inside it and left witch masks in his closet to scare him further at night - Lyle's girlfriend told him that she was pregnant but later told him that she lied and she had never been pregnant at all (they broke up afterwards) After a confrontation with his father, Lyle found out that his father paid off his girlfriend to get an abortion and lie to him about it. - Both boys (aged 4 and around 6 at the time) were often abandoned in malls and airports. -Jose's mother was a famous swimmer who was showcased in Cuba's sports hall of fame. In order to force his children to follow in those footsteps in terms of sports, he would force and hold Erik's head underwater to "expand his lungs". Essentially fucking drowning him. -Lyle once brought a bunny home as part of a school program in the second grade and named it "Flower". His mother told him to get rid of the bunny but he couldn't return it since summer break had just started. Later, Lyle found the bunny beaten to death, covered in flies in the trash can outside their house. (Jose had beaten the bunny with his bare hands and thrown it away) - Kitty once left an incredibly sick 9 year old Erik home alone while she went shopping for 5 hours. -During an argument 5 days before the murder, Kitty ripped off Lyle's hairpiece (He had started experiencing immense hair loss at age 14 and needed a toupee to cover it up). This was, as Lyle testifies, incredibly embarrassing (Erik was not aware his brother had this) and painful (the hair piece was only supposed to be removed using some sort of solvent). Lyle said his head immediately become extremely red and swollen and he felt completely humiliated, running off to reattach it after getting it back from his mother - A year before the murder, Kitty brought Erik along with her to buy a gun. Upon asking why she needed to buy that, Kitty told her son that she was "going to kill someone." Erik was incredibly unsettled put-off by the conversation and didn't ask any more questions. (Mind you, Kitty was heavily medicated at this time, taking around 13-15 pills a day) The new evidence : This is a recently discovered piece of evidence which may lead to the brothers' early release/ shorter sentence. Andy Cano (a cousin) had been brought in to give a testimony during the trial and he supported the claims that Erik and Lyle had been sexually abused, stating that Erik once told him about it, asking if it was normal for fathers to do that. Andy, who had no present father in his life, was unable to answer him (Mind you, both the boys were extremely young at the time so Andy wasn't aware that an adult should've been informed). His testimony was thought to be just a lie and was thrown aside - years later Andy died of overdose, his mother Marta said he never recovered from the guilt of not being able to help the brothers. This is part of the letter that was written by Erik to Andy that supports the claims that they were sexually abused :

[Erik is referring to his mother] "At times, I wish I could talk to her about things , you know? Some day... Especially dad and I but the way she worships him and tells him everything. I [am] so afraid she'll tell him whatever I say. I just can't risk it. Lyle got in a huge fight with her about why we couldn't spend Christmas with the rest of the family and mom freaked out and said if he wanted to go he could go alone. I just don't know why she wants to hurt him like that. Lyle wanted to stay but dad wouldn't let him. So now I'm stuck here alone. I've been trying to avoid dad. It's still happening Andy but it's worse for me now. I can't explain it. He [is] so overweight that I can't stand to see him. I never know when it's going to happen and it's driving me crazy. Every night, I stay up thinking he might come in. I need to put it out of my mind. I know what you said before but I'm afraid. You don't know dad like I do. He's crazy! He's warned me a hundred times about telling anyone. Especially Lyle. Am I serious whimpus? I don't know I'll make it through this. I can handle it, Andy. I need to stop thinking about it."

[triplexdoublex]

Guys at 2 she had her oldest son full on wearing dresses and as soon as she saw he liked them she bought a bunch of books talking about why it’s ok for a boy to dress like a girl. I have nothing against trans people at all but at 2 a child can barly say thier ABCs let alone decide that they want to wear dresses all the time unless someone is pointing them in that direction and in fact a lot of lil boys did play with barbies and try on dresses and stuff but it’s bc they see the other girl kids or thier friends doing it so they want to see wat the fuss is all about just like a lot of lil girls go through fazes where they like lil boy cloths, or trucks, or playing dirty, it’s fazes give it a few months or a yr and most kids grow out of it yet Megan had a bunch of dresses sitting around her house for him to play with and was fully prepared to buy him all kinds of books explaining why it’s ok to dress as a girl and continued to dress him like that (there’s a pic of her oldest in a princess dress when he looked like he could barly walk) and she did all of this …… at 2 And then did the same for the next 2. And then Sharna comes into the picture and all of a sudden her 2 youngest started dressing more like lil boys.

Ok here’s my take on that … I like to believe she was was just a mother trying to be supportive and doing her best to make sure her child knows he’s is loved no matter what. I stated reading LGBT+ books to my daughter very young as well because I think it’s important to let kids ( yes even as young as 2) to know it’s okay and completely normal before society has the chance to tell them otherwise, especially with the lack of representation in kids shows, movies ,media. Teaching or exposing kids to that isn’t “sexual or about sexuality” it’s as simple as them just seeing a picture book or say a boy wearing at a dress or a picture of a child with two moms ect . It makes it’s natural , so their brain doesn’t flag it as odd , when they see it irl one day and you don’t have your kid yelling “mom why’s that man wearing a dress ?!” in the middle of Target. Instead their brain just sees it as something they’ve seen before and it’s normal and they move on because it’s natural. I tried to do this with eveything when my daughter was young . We read books about other religions ( even though I’m atheist) and their different head coverings. We live across from a convent and had a “mom why is her dressed like a penguin?” incident when a Nun walked by when she was a baby , if she had seen or been exposed to nuns prior it would have been natural to her and the wouldn’t be a need to question it, so I turned it i to a teachable moment and made sure we got some kids books about different religious head covering and even printed out a simple picture matching game of pairs of various head coverings .Another great example is potty training… we as people fear what we do not know and are not fond of change , so of course when a child’s only known to use the bathroom in their diaper they might be afraid of the toilet when the start potty training or refuse to use it ect only prolonging the process… I did elimination communication with my daughter and started putting her little potty when she was only a few months old , by 17 months she was completely potty trained day and night , no awkward transition stage of refusing or being afraid , it was always natural to her. This isn’t me bragging about my parenting , I’m just trying to explain the earlier children are exposed to certain things the more natural and accepting they are to it. There’s nothing wrong with it as long as it’s of course appropriate. As for Megan’s other 2 sons I think maybe they just wanted to be like their brother , and now that’d they’re getting older they’re growing into their own. As much as I don’t like her, I don’t believe she was in any way forcing them to “dress like girls” but I’m sure she probably enjoyed the attention and controversy caused by it.

[twopoppies]

Mhhh I get the disappointment in shift for a queer friendly audience / atmosphere but tbh if we look at Louis behavior and his image, why would anyone bring a flag? He’s not known for engaging with them or waving them himself. To an outsider he might come across as someone who has a problem with the community, based on old actions / tweets. For artists like Dua or Beyoncé you know there’ll be many queer fans in the audience , for H you know no matter what he’ll wear a pride flag on stage every night. But it must be intimidating not knowing the vibe you’re getting into and number one priority is safety above all. It’s really sad but eg you wouldn’t take a pride flag to a Michael Bublé concert either. Not cause he’s a homophobe or cause only straight fans are there but it’s not like he stands for a known save lgbt environment or exceptional vocal support. Neither does (and tbh ever did) Louis. He saw the pride flags the past tours and didn’t really act like he was super glad they were there, so why should fans continue to put themselves out like that you know?

No, I totally get what you mean. His shows were different during the Walls tour because there was a big push toward bringing flags and doing fan projects. But it’s got less of that feel right now. Part of it his that Louis hasn’t said or done much for the community that a new fan or someone in the GP would catch. But those of us who’ve known him for years know how much he supports the community. That’s just what makes it harder to stomach.

A similar thing happened during the earlier shows of Love on Tour when the Watermelon Sugar girlies were being super nasty towards larries and queer fans and even the presence of flags. It shifted again as tour went on, but I remember people really missing the loving vibe that Live on Tour had.

[capraclysm]

I'm seeing a lot of trump supporters saying "what do gay people have to be afraid of. Trump didn't do anything to them in the first election. Why would that change now.".

I wrote up this borderline essay in response. Please feel free to use this, in part or in full. Send it to whoever you want. No credit needed. It's a copy-paste to reduce necessary effort and emotional burden.

A great deal changed for the LGBT community in his first term. Trump removed all mentions of LGBTQ+ people from federal websites, and fought against workplace protections for LGBTQ+ employees. His administration also banned people with HIV from military deployment, disbanded the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and slashed global funding for HIV prevention and treatment.

If we expand the definition of "gay" here to refer to the LGBTQ+ Community at large the prognosis is significantly worse. He outright banned trans people from military service, rescinded critical life saving protections for trans students in schools, and vowed (thankfully failed) to enact anti-scientific legislation to redefine gender at the federal level so that male and female (as assigned at birth) are the only recognized genders. This stance not only hurts trans people and rescinds freedoms in a country which once claimed to be the land of the free, but also excludes a significant percentage of the population who biologically fall outside those two genders.

Additionally, for a man as influential as the president, it's not just about the legislation enacted but also by the example set. The FBI violent crime statistics showed a dramatic increase in physical violence against the LGBT community, across the nation throughout Trump's first presidency. While he may not have successfully legislated against the community as much as he wanted to, he certainly used language and encouraged rhetoric that led to that marked increase.

So in short, when people say the LGBT community is afraid, they're not just afraid of the legislation trump has promised to put in place this term, that would ruin and in many cases end lives, and work to erase a vibrant and loving community's existence, but they're also terrified of the violence his first term brought about making a return, and indeed with the increased polarization of the political scene, its likely that violent effort won't only return, but redouble.

This has gotten long-winded so I hope you won't mind one final point. While he didn't make much legislation successfully. He based his campaign in part around legislation that would continue to dismantle LGBTQ lives and rights. So it's terrifying to look around and see the signs, literal signs, and flags and hats your neighbors wear, showing you that they not only don't care about your well being, but actively want to elect someone who wants to do you harm. It's scary to know that your community, the people around you who you have no choice but to live with and interact with, don't want you there. Or value your safety and well-being so lowly that they'll elect someone who wants you gone.

Hopefully this makes sense and helps clear things up.

[pansyboybloom]

Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States, by Samantha Allen - A Review (8 out of 10)

"That's precisely the question we asked ourselves on November 9th. To stay, or not to stay? I found my answer at the top of the pride flag: there's no way of course that the color of its first stripe was a commentary on our geographically divided political climate. Red didn't mean Republican and blue didn't mean Democrat until the year 2000 anyway. Red is simply the first color in the rainbow, not a sign from the cosmos for me personally. But back when Gilbert Baker first designed that now ubiquitous emblem of LGBT rights in 1978 he did want that red stripe to signify life."

Samantha Allen, a reporter, wife, and transgender woman who was raised in Utah amidst the heart of the Mormon Church and left the South and its redness behind after beginning her transition, asked herself the questions that many Americans, especially queer ones, asked themselves after Donald Trump's win in the United States Presidential race in 2016. But, instead of moving out to Canada, Samantha decided to move down. Down to Utah, Texas, Indiana, and other red states that had seemingly made it clear that she and people like her weren't wanted, to answer a question that she couldn't shake:

Why weren't the Southern queers leaving?

"What makes an oasis, an oasis?"

In Real Queer America, Allen snakes through the south to pockets of queer safe havens ranging from queer bars in small rural towns, to LGBT shelters across from Mormon temples, to protests in Austin, TX, and places of safety throughout all of red America, no matter how small

As a Southerner, this book called to me. It was written with love, with the respect that only a Southern queer can give to other Southern queers. Allen examines the parts of the queer South that those outside its borders might struggle to understand, like LGBT youth political groups that work with the Mormon church to secure transgender rights in Utah. The chapter on Utah struck me in particular. I won't pretend to have any good opinions of the Mormon establishment, but the fondness Allen has for the community who raised her, even after it hurt her, is mind-blowing. Hearing from people like an ex-Mormon radical who works hand in hand with the church to secure LGBT safety, a mother who is deeply supportive of her transgender son because of her Mormoness, not despite it, a gay youth rights advocate who stated in the heart of Mormonism out of an unshakable faith in the goodness in the people of Utah, and, most remarkable, a trans man who has been told by the church that, should he continue his medical transition, he would be excommunicated, but chooses to love God anyways.

Of course, another favorite chapter was that on Texas. As a Texan, I am all too familiar with names like Paxton and Abbott, but also Wendy Davis and the Briggle family. Allen shows the Briggle family as human, and continues that humanity into her trek into the Rio Grande Valley, an often forgotten part of the state, demonized by both the North for its poverty and the South for its tie to immigration from Mexico. Allen approaches the complexities of race interacting with queerness with attempted grace, but her analysis seems to fall flat-- something she acknowledges later on, in Indiana, in which she has in-depth conversations with a black trans woman on how while Allen may feel safe holding hands with her wife here, her blackness will forever keep the 'queer eutopia' she lives in from truly being safe.

She tells Allen: "There is a difference, it seems, between an oasis and a eutopia. When you're in a desert, an oasis can be a single well of water in the sand, or in this case, one college town with an incredible queer bar. A watering hole doesn't make the desert safe, it just makes it habitable. Even then, when you arrive at the refuge that is Bloomington, so much of your experience here depends on the identities you bring with you. And eutopias? Well, eutopias don't exist. If they did, every LGBT person in the country would move there, and queer making would end."

Allen also carries some of the uncomfortable, if not plain disheartening, pro-veteran beliefs quintessential to the South, spending a long time speaking in depth with veterans surrounding Trump's trans military ban. She repeatedly references a shirt she saw while at an Austin rally: I fought for your right to hate me. The reverence she holds and the anger she feels for veterans was upsetting at times and showed further Allen's privilege.

Still, Allen's beliefs need not be perfect in a book about how the Northern need for perfection leads to the Southern LGBT community being abandoned. This abandonment is mentioned in the Indiana chapter when discussing Mike Pence and his 'return to religious freedom' act, which lead to North wide economic protests and boycotts-- that affected the queers of Indiana far more economically than it did Pence. It was grassroots organizations and local state fighters that pushed back the collection of bills, and many, like the ones Allen interviewed, felt abandoned by blue states that seemed to care more about protesting through inaction than action.

Grassroots education, safety, activism, and community are a recurring theme in Real Queer America, unsurprising to any rural or Southern queer. One such example is the Back Door, a queer bar-- not gay, but specifically queer, an active choice maybe by the "dyke daddy" of the club-- that serves as a bastion of fun and sex in a rural town, but also as a place to come together and practice activism.

"The 'Back Door' is a perfect example of the red state queer ethos-- that being politically active is a responsibility, not a choice."

Allen stresses one thing above all: community. The queer chosen family, and the queering of friendships, she argues, are just as threatening to the average bigot as her sex life or her gender identity, if not more. Together, Southern queers thrive-- something many Northerns don't see. Allen critiques Northern journalism from her own writing background, citing that Northerners only care about Southern queer lives when a politician is passing a bathroom bill, a gunman is shooting up a night club, or a high school has their first trans homecoming king, not out of a desire to share his joy, but to further stress how backward the South is. Amidst the shared meals with bisexuals in Tennessee, watching the dancing queers of the Back Door, the support groups across from Mormon temples, the protests in Austin, and more, Allen asks the reader, is the most radical thing to do as a queer person to simply live and love? Is living, thriving, fighting together, arm in arm-- is all of this what being queer in the South means? She finds answers in each place she goes, and while I will leave her answer up to the reader, I find her comment when meeting with the trans cafe owner of Allen's college youth to shine clear:

"Watching Rachel run her own small business in south central Indiana was my first vision of a future where I turn out okay."

Please, check to see if your local library or bookstores have Real Queer America before buying on Amazon! Let's support local reading!

[icarusredwings]

TW: Mentions of SA

Not my usual content.

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Me: *Wakes up* Ah what a wonderful day! Surely nothing bad will happen today!

The news: Did you hear about Neil Gaiman?

Me: Oh, What about Neil? I love Ne-

The news: He's been accused of SA

Me: ....

The news: Twice.

Me: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!? SINCE WHEN!? WHY!? HOW!?

In all seriousness, SA is NOT a joke, and I suggest you do your own research on the case. This being said, as someone who is a victim of SA, this is not something to be taken lightly. It's all just so unfortunate, especially seeing as I looked up to him greatly as many people did.

It's okay if you are in shock, it's okay if you still enjoy his work (You can be a bad person and still write well), you can know that the author has done wrong and still enjoy fictional charaters. You can not know how to react and decide to leave a community. It's okay if you decide to wait for more information. It's okay if you take time off social media.

It's okay if you want this all to be fake. Its okay if you want this to be all some sort of fucked up political sham. You are allowed to be sad, you can feel guilty, you can feel pissed and you can feel betrayed.

That is all okay.

What's not okay is attacking those who aren't sure how to feel on the matter or those who are waiting for further information.

What's not okay is attacking those who will continue to enjoy his work (because contrary to popular belief, much like the music community you can watch/read without directly supporting the writer, such as libraries who probably already have his discs and books)

What's not okay is thinking "he would never do anything wrong" because no matter how famous someone is, they are capable of wrong.

What's not okay is shoving REAL VICTIMS under a rug and choosing to be blissfully ignorant because of a show you like. (While I haven't seen it, I have a feeling there's going to be people out there that will want this to go away for the sake of his shows alone)

And whats not okay is demanding his friends make a statement or immediately accusing them of sidding with an accused rapist. They do not owe us anything. For all we know, they had no clue. They are people, too. They deserve time to process and possibly grieve their friendship just like anyone else.

My personal take:

(not that it matters) is that, while it IS a little suspicious that this is being released right after the beef with the prime minister and David Tennant, as well as the same time as UK voting, and the fact that this wouldnt be the first time the goverment has used trans activitsts as pawns during election, This does NOT mean that i'm defending anyone!! I personally am right on the fence. If this had happened any other time then election time I would believe it right off the bat, but this is the part that's making me feel on the fence. There's an uneasy feeling in my stomach about the whole thing because in the US I've watched so many people be accused of all sorts of things during elections and 2 weeks later the same people who accused, admitted they lied for elections. So personally, I'm sitting this one out for now. Im waiting for more information. For now i'm sitting with ultimate betrayal and disgust at the thought of him doing something like this, because I've been in the spot where no one believed me. It's rough. Especially when you are young and the other person is much older. Even if this does turn out to be false, I still don't think ill be able to look at him the same way I did before.

General PSA disregarding the case:

In the US, there are politican ads on how a local senator "hates hospitals," which clearly isn't true. No one in their right mind would "want to defund hospitals".

This being pointed out, try not to immediately believe everything you see on the internet (especially around election times), and don't let them win. We know a lot of politicians' goals right now is to hurt thriving LGBT+ spaces.

Unfortunately, Neil has greated several of them with Good omens and Sandman, being in the top 100 influence writers list, our fandoms are huge and seeing how happy we all are makes the torys and many other transphobes MISERABLE.

If we are making them this upset by just drawing angel and demon pride art, that means we are extremely powerful as a fandom. It means we have a voice. Use this voice for good. Don't let these bigots tear us down just because they can't stomach the amount of happiness we have.

TL;DR: I stand with the victims, period.

If this is true, Fuck Neil, i feel guilty for ever looking up to him as a writer. If not, it's unfortunate (but not suprising) that they're targeting David's friends. Your feelings are valid, You can hate the creator and still have a loving community. They hate a loving community because all they have is hate ❤️

[awwordnd]

Hello, Kobold here!

With Episode 4 around the corner and it being Episode 5 overall, I figured now was a great time for an update on everything and a summary of the past few sessions.

To begin with - THANK YOU! The overall response to AWWOR has been so lovely and we are loving all of the art we've been seeing! That being said there's a couple things we should mention! ✨ We would love to hear your feedback but it would be best where we can see it! You can leave feedback on any of our socials, on the koboldkurios discord or here! We have our inbox open, including anonymous submissions for those who are a little shy. We would love to hear from you! (you can also ask us questions!) ✨ A reminder that if you do some art for the campaign and/or it's characters and would like to see it in the art reels at the end of each session - send them through, either here as a submission or to us via email! Make sure to let us know your social @ so we can credit you!

In amazingly exciting news, THE OFFICIAL AWWOR OST IS OUT ON SPOTIFY AND ITUNES!

Composed and created by the wonderfully talented @musicandtings, who has a plethora of additional music AND a podcast for you to check out, the AWWOR ost is a lively soundtrack and will be heard on streams each session! Go check the album out, give his other music a listen to and if you're inclined, consider commissioning him for some music of your own!

Onto some less exciting news, we do have to announce that Sponge who plays Corben will be stepping down. Sponge has some exciting life progressions that will be taking up a majority of their time that they had not expected when initially joining us. We wish Sponge all the best for the future and you may still see them in the stream chat or on the Koboldkurios discord from time to time so don't be afraid to say hi!

With Pride Month coming up, we would like to remind old and new viewers alike that AWWOR supports LGBT+ rights. With the crew being members of the queer community amongst other minority communities ourselves, we encourage a diverse, welcoming community. You are seen, you are loved. ♥

Finally, there is some discussion amongst the AWWOR discord regarding potentially moving to a weekly schedule. If this does indeed come to be, you will all be the first to know so stay tuned!

The past few sessions have been an absolute blast and we are all looking forward to seeing where this story takes us. We hope you enjoy the ride too. Until next time, and onto the summary!

SO FAR ON AWWOR...

The party convened, traveling to the docks of Yallasch to catch their ship. The party is bound for the small swamp village of Oparl which is currently under the effects of a severe illness. Dr Alligan Hue - newly cast out to experience the wider areas of the Border Kingdoms and Faerun by his college - has been assigned to aid the village and he is not alone, accompanied by Ateris, Saffy, Rhaya and Corben who join him for each their own reasons.

While boarding their ship, Ateris spies a ship she has been searching for for 33 years, a ship belonging to Fulgrim Shay - a past lover and father to her missing son. In an eager rush to hopefully see the man, she makes a run for the vessel while Alligan summons his familliar - a weasel named Yauna - to create a distraction by stealing their captain's coinpurse. With Rhaya aiding in the distraction they delay the ship just long enough for Ateris to find one of the crew and have him agree to pass on a message for Fulgrim. With that done, as her own vessel passes on it's way out of the bay, Ateris makes a daring leap and through some aid from the party, manages to land safely on deck.

Once in Dapplegate, the party picks up a horse and cart and a letter from Fulgrim before continuing onward toward Oparl.

The night before reaching the small village, the party sets camp in a sheltered outcropping out of the rain. The party chat a little and tension between Saffy and Alligan shows as the pair have a mild misunderstanding. Tired from travel, they almost miss the sound of being robbed as three kobolds scavenge through their boxes in the cart. The party proceeds to question, threaten and adequately intimidate the kobolds into returning the majority of the items taken, Saffy manages to charm the kobolds enough that they totally aren't making a cult based on the feline.

With the following rest, the party moves onward, travelling through the swamp. Rhaya and Saffy discover the polarising scent of citronella while the two humans in the cart attempt to avoid being eaten by mosquitos. Rhaya also discovers the magical properties of the dragonflies of the region - having adapted over time with the residual effects of the spellplague.

Hearing a scream from further into the swamp, the party jumps to action - coming to help a young person being accosted by a giant toad. Two giant toads, a saffy snack and some newly aquired frog meat later, the party continues on to the village. As they do they have a blunt but reasonably pleasant conversation with their rescued acquaintance, getting some more information on the recent events of the town.

Entering town, the party finds accomodation and board for their horse and cart. Here, Ateris catches up with the barkeep - familliar from her last journey through the region - and she and Saffy learn of a potential job for the party to take up during their time here. Meanwhile - Rhaya makes his way up to the rooms, avoiding the watchful gaze of a group of individuals who seem to recognise his pin. In an attempt to avoid coming eye-to-eye with them on his way back down he climbs out the window of his room to the roof - which he proceeds to fall off.

The party meet Thiddershins, a wood woad who runs the commissary in the village - though most of the residents seem unsure about his motives. The party proceeds to fall in love with him.

+1 favourite NPC

They then proceed to the village healer - a tiefling woman doing her best within the circumstances. They deliver supplies and Alligan offers to take a look at the patients - discovering that the illness is dire, a remnant of the spellplague and likely bought to the village from a previous adventuring party. While inspecting some of the patients, Ateris spies a glowing sigyl appear on Alligan's forehead before the skeleton of one of the patients tears itself from it's body and proceeds to attack the wizard.

once more the party leaps to action, still reasonably spent from their morning fighting toads. Some close calls later, they succeed but not without Alligan pushing his limited healing spell past it's usual daily use, taking a point of exhaustion.

Reeling from the battle and the resulting adrenaline, the party and healer step out of the healing tent where Alligan and Ateris explain to the rest of the party of a previous experience with what they believe to be an ancient black dracolich and it's potential connection to the skeletal attack.

The party continues to discuss matters with the healer and purchase some supplies from her that aren't needed for the ill as Ateris burns the body just outside town to prevent further spread of the illness, before they make their way back into the village, their destination being their accomodation. However as it happens, they make some stops at some of the businesses within the village.

Our absolutely-not-married-at-all housemates stop by what is essentially an op-shop in search of new travelling clothes for Alligan while the others make their way to the blacksmith, perusing the goods. Saffy additionally makes their way back to the store the ranger and wizard are perusing, striking up conversation with the storekeep and whisking off for some DM whispers in the backroom. Alligan finds some magic items, managing to slip a magical seed they found into the ranger's pocket and through the aid of their rescued aquaintence, they make a deal to pay partially and return with further payment after their job the following day.

The party then, makes their way to the commisary, intending to introduce Corben to their new favourite... person? sentient log. Alligan, curious to find out about the magical seed, asks the wood woad if they know what it is. As soon as Thiddershins touches the seed it glows before seeming to absorb it's very essence - splintering and tearing the wood woad apart.

-1 Favourite NPC

Panicking and not knowing what else to do, they place the seed in the wooden corpse, Ateris additionally placing a hand on the creature. As she does, a thorny branch pierces thoroughly through the hand, seemingly purifying and absorbing the blood it draws before retreating. With that and the magical seed, the body transforms into what appears to be some form of Eladrin-dryad woman, leaving a dumbfounded pair of housemates and shocked party.

"DO YOU HAVE A CHILD NOW?!" - Saffy

[tommysparker]

one person asked me to share my thoughts on the Red White & Royal Blue movie and that’s all i need so here you go! spoilers below

Okay so let’s start with the things I did like:

Taylor and Nick had AMAZING chemistry. They did a fantastic job with what they were given and I can genuinely envision them as the book characters. All the cast did a great job.

The scene with Alex and Ellen was so heart touching. As a queer person who’s come out to their parent and not been accepted, I almost started bawling when I saw Ellen holding Alex on the couch and telling him how much she loves and accepts him. It was a beautiful thing to see and I’m so happy we have more of that kind of representation in media; a safe space to come out and be yourself. Also Ellen’s knowledge of all the different labels in the community and her saying “The B in LGBT isn’t silent” is super empowering.

On that note, Alex’s speech at the end about privacy and how it’s your choice to come out (if you want to come out). Again, a very important message for people to hear and understand. Seeing the effects of being outed hopefully will open people’s eyes and we’ll see less pressure for people to come out or label themselves. And also hopefully people will stop butting into celebs lives in general.

To end the short list of things I liked: the bit with the phone calls was done in a clever way. I thought it was pretty cool, although it felt too much like walmart Heartstopper.

Now, on to everything I didn’t like about this movie

The writing was SO. FREAKING. LAZY. 90% of the movie is exposition. All tell no show. They pretty much only payed attention to the sex scenes and even those weren’t very interesting.

THEY CUT SO MANY THINGS. When I heard they cut June and Rafael, I was disappointed but figured it was to save time and they’d combine their stories with Nora/Liam respectively (which is what I heard). To my absolute disappointment, neither was done and on top of that they introduced this new character named Miguel who is nothing more than a jealous ex hookup. Not only that, they erased Alex’s parent’s divorce and Henry’s mother, two very important parts of their character backstories.

Continuing on about things that were cut, pretty much any actual bonding time we see with Henry and Alex in the book was reduced to short one-minute scenes and cheap montages. Instead they were replaced with beats that were 15-seconds too long that were meant to say something but simply didn’t translate properly.

Also, they completely cut out Alex’s whole awakening and immediately jumped to him coming out to Henry when they meet up after their first kiss. I get it made for a cute little haha funny banter moment but COME ON. Part of Alex’s character arc is him coming to terms with who he is after denying it for so long, and seeing that process is so important to show for people who are doing the same.

The movie felt so fast paced. Every ten minutes a new important story beat happened without giving the audience any real time to process whatever happened before that. By the time they were in Paris I had no interest in them “making love” for the first time.

I’m gonna make an example of this before it stands out as the most annoying thing to me still. The museum scene is a masterpiece in the books but on the big screen it’s so…bad. Half of the scene was done in voiceover for no reason (once again going back to exposition) and the other half was so boring I could barely pay attention. And the “history, huh?” moment being a spoken thing between them, as opposed to through email like in the book’s completely erases the basis all of their supporters held onto in the books. All the signs, the t-shirts, the graffiti, the way they did it in the movie makes it so none of that could exist.

I really wish we saw Alex’s side of things when they got exposed, especially the way it effected his mother’s campaign. I wanted to see him he told he’s off the campaign and how badly it hurt him. Instead we got one scene of exposition and a single shot of him gushing abt Henry and saying he misses him.

From a cinematography perspective, there was some very pretty shots that were obviously made to turn into promo posters.

That’s pretty much all I got for now off the top of my head. I’ve been trying to cleanse my brain of the film for the past 4 hours lmao

If you have your own opinions, please share respectfully!! I want to hear what you liked or disliked about this.

[posi-pan]

Watched a video titled "Problems with the bisexual spectrum" (would've preferred if they used multisexual but that's not the point) and scrolled down through the comment section. While the majority of the comments were mspecs appreciating the vid and sharing their own experiences and thoughts, I noticed a pattern of pansexuals (+ people who used to label themselves as pansexual) sharing how they were constantly harassed, judged, and mocked for using the label. The constant harassment eventually culminating itself into self-hatred

Some ended their piece by reassuring they learned to stopped caring about what exclusionist think, and happily continue labeling as pan (or later go on to discover that another label fits them better) but others ended it by saying that while they know pan is a valid label, the harassment consequently made them uncomfortable of pansexuality, and would rather not have anything to do with it at all.

I had a similar experience years ago. Witnessing multiple non-bi mspecs constantly mocked and forced to use the bisexual label, "Bi vs Pan" posts painting pansexuality in the most negative light imaginable being highly supported, exclusionist, without fail, commenting either "I don't see anything 🤔" whenever a pan flag is showed off or "I guess 'X' doesn't exist now 😔" whenever a fictional char is headcannoned as pan, just made me resent myself and pansexuality, forcing myself to simply use 'saphic'

Those comments made me realized just how common of an occurrence this was, and I felt dejected after thinking about them for too long. Like, we go through that whole proccess of self-loathing and constant pressure to ID as something else, and yet no one outside our community seems to care?

Whenever a prominent LGBT+ figure/site talks about pansexuality (IF they even talk about it as it's own thing), it's only "They exist, and they are valid <3". Don't get me wrong, this is very appreciated, but why do they never use that opportunity to shed light on more valuable pieces of information as well. Show the community at large our history without the misinformation, expose the normalization of pan exclusion and the prominence of anti-pan dogwhistles, show pansexual's mental health statistics, etc.

I want to finish off this long rant (sorry btw) by saying thank you 💖💛💙 Your blog has helped me mentally throughout these years. I love reading through the Pan History and Pan Statistics carrds especially. If it wasn't for you or this blog, I would still be that self-loathing resentful person I was years ago. So again, thank you 💖💛💙

(I also want to apologize again for basically sending you an essay 😅 I got passionate writing this; if I left out any info/context, I would've exploded. Have a good evening!)

it's honestly so sad that pan people go through this and seemingly no one cares. and ugh yeah when the only thing regarding pan mentioned is something like "it's valid" or "pan people are part of the bi umbrella" it's like....that's it? what about something meaningful? it's just telling, ya know? like we're not worthy of genuine and meaningful consideration.

but yeah, no worries about the long rant! sorry for taking a while to get to it, though! i'm glad the blog and stuff has been helpful to you. you deserve to love and celebrate yourself and not be weighed down by hatred or doubt caused by the ignorance and malice of others. i hope you're doing well and have a lovely day! 💛💛

[warningsine]

Few queer arcs annoy me more than the "I'm straight with one (1) exception" one. Almost as insulting as the Pink Kryptonite type of shit.

I whined about this very thing back when I watched s3, but quickly let it go, because I didn't want to be a Debbie Downer for the fans who did like it.

But nobody cares now and I'm rewatching s1 so...

S3 was a drag and only watchable (to me) because of Paleta; how she sold a woman in love.

The show messed the fake dating thing up (HOW? Virgin teenagers have executed this concept better on AO3, damn it), failed Mariana by not giving us her POV (although the weak acting didn't help matters either) and failed Ana too.

They did the ensemble thing and wasted valuable time on inane subplots. Literally, who gave a fuck about Pablo's friends? Conrado was funny exactly one (1) time and that's when he sang in drag because he was drunk.

Know your audience. Predominantly queer people (nationally and internationally) were supporting your Netflix show. Conservative heterosexuals boycotted it because it had "feminist/LGBT propaganda" and "favored mothers over fathers."

The result was--that even though s3 was longer than s2--Ana, the lead, didn't have enough time to explore her sexuality.

But still, they could have taken advantage of the fact they had Alma, Ana's mean/gossipy childhood friend, say that Ana has had a vibe since they were teens. (There's no smoke without fire.) That was in 1.03 when we, the audience, still thought Ana was straight. (At least, she didn't ping to me until later.)

They could have gone for bi Ana--what I thought they were doing in late season 1. It was clear that even though Ana didn't give a fuck that Mariana was bi, she didn't quite understand bisexuality herself.

"Who wouldn't want you? If I were a guy, I'd fuck you." (to make her friend feel better about her postpartum body) "I'm not a lesbian." (multiple times) Sure, but your bestie isn't one either and yet she still wants you.

(Side note: "You'd be surprised how many gay women I've heard that from.")

They could have gone for latebloomer lesbian in denial Ana--what I thought they were doing in most of season 2, because, hey, they would not stop using the word "lesbian."

Then I realized they were doing the classic "We dare not name bisexuality" until finally, finally Tere defended her own daughter in s3.

"My daughter is gay. Or bi. Idk, I love her."

At least, they didn't say that Ana and Mariana were "flexible" (TGW, I'm side-eyeing you) because "post radical queerness."

Smh creative teams think they're being progressive when telling the community that not using a label is a virtue.

If you're a cis straight liberal/progressive and say, "Labels don't matter," then you're not being honest with yourself. Because your label is "normal" to the rest of society.

Without any labels, there would be no LGBTQ+ community. Whose rights would people be fighting for exactly?

We're nowhere near close to the point that people no longer need to identify their community. Even in relatively liberal societies where gay marriage is legal and anti-discrimination laws exist, queer people continue to be marginalized and oppressed.

And I know that queer people do the post-label thing too, but things there get more complicated. Why? Because many queer people are in the closet, many are busy figuring their shit out, dealing with comphet and internalized stuff.

And it's not like being queer absolves you of having regressive beliefs either, e.g., there are gay people who are biphobic and/or transphobic etc.

[alottamoney]

"Singer IU has released the main poster for her new song "Love Wins" featuring BTS' V, prompting LGBT voices to criticize the song's title.

On the 16th, IU's agency, Edam Entertainment, released a teaser poster on its official social media page, showing BTS' V and IU sitting across from each other.

The poster was met with outrage from the LGBT community. The problematic part is the title of the new song, "Love Wins. It was pointed out that the phrase, which has been used as a chant at LGBT pride parades, would be tarnished by borrowing it for general heterosexual content.

"Love Wins" was an idiom used by LGBT people as a hashtag when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage on June 26, 2015. It was also used to show support for the LGBT community after the 2016 mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The phrase has reportedly continued to be used at international queer parades."

Interesting.

Umm....Okay? It's a bit of a reach, no? Where is this even from?

[justsome-di]

Jo Sheryl began speaking. Her voice was low. She rocked back and forth on her feet and waved her hand as she ran through notes and a slide show. The lecture hall was silent except for her baritone washing over the waves of seats.

She talked about how she first came up with the idea for her graphic novel and how it seemed to blow up overnight as she was posting it to her blog. The response to it had been overwhelming. With love for Minnie came long-awaited-for acceptance for herself. She had received the positivity she had been seeking for years and also provided it back in turn for those who needed to see themselves in comics.

It was a cycle, she emphasized. When queer people lifted each other up, they lifted themselves up. When queer artists and writers wrote for themselves, they wrote for others and vice versa. The importance of community was never so evident to Jo as it was in the comment section of her comics. Strangers on the internet, all across the country, had made her feel more comfortable in herself than she had felt in a long time.

She was hiding less and less of herself not just to her audience but to the people around her. Though she was out to her family, she hardly ever talked about dating women in front of them. She had straight friends who she knew accepted her but didn’t understand the deeper parts of the LGBT community—the finer details of the history, the ongoing struggles, the little things Jo had to see and cope with every day. With the success of her comic, she started speaking up. Started showing herself more and more, no longer fearing isolation if they decided that she was being “too much.” There was now a massive community to fall back on. ...

“The one thing I want to tell all queer artists,” Jo said, “is that a lot of people are going to tell you no. Publishers will turn you down. Readers will leave nasty comments around the internet. It will feel like you’re not doing anything right for anyone because everyone has something to complain about. A lot of straight people who are trying to help you will tell you to ‘tone down the gay stuff.’”

There was a wave of laughter. Leo laughed, too, to show support and that he understood that pressure to suppress an identity, to try to be a more tolerable version of yourself for others.

“But,” Jo continued, “you don’t have to listen to any of those people. There’s a whole new world out there online where you can share your work with people who are looking to read it. If everyone else is telling you no, you need to give yourself permission to tell yourself ‘yes.’ And I want everyone here, even if you’re not an artist, to be as authentic to yourself as you can be. Even if—and I know you’re all in college so this might be the case—even if you don’t really know who you are yet. Keep telling yourself that you’re allowed to exist in whatever way you’re happiest. The world deserves to know the real you.”

excerpt from chapter 15 of neud (can be read here)

[oatmealaddiction]

I'll never get why some people think drag is mocking women or gnc people. The art of drag as we know it was pioneered by trans women. Terms like "realness" and "opulence," that came from Harlem ballrooms were coined by trans women. Self-love and gender expression have always been at the heart of drag. I think people see elements of drag culture like "reading" or the prevalence of offensive jokes and black comedy and the big cartoonish make up and they can't get it out of their heads that this is about mocking women or gnc people in a really offensive way, and it isn't. Drag is a culture, and it has it's own heritage. There are literal drag families who have long legacies in the community and a lot of the art of drag is passed down. So much of the negativity and black humor in the drag community is left-over from a time when being LGBT was still illegal and being queer was essentially to be a sex offender. Drag as an art embraced essentially all things offensive as a means of owning their own identity. Probably the most famous and beloved example of this is Divine, who continues to be the biggest inspiration for comedic queens to this day. And as queer, transgender, and gender non conforming people have become more accepted in the current day, drag as a culture is changing and there's a lot of talk about if we need that embrace of the offensive anymore and if that is actually more a preservation of an old homophobic status quo that isn't around anymore and there's a lot of differing opinions. Rupaul obviously has gone for a more glamour pop approach to drag while his buddy Lady Bunny is still very much is about the offensive. Some people see it as trying to uphold tradition, some see it as something that needs to be left in the past. Transphobia and Misogyny definitely are around in the community because there around everywhere. Probably the most infamous example is Rupaul's Drag Race placing a moratorium on trans queens, faux queens, and drag kings, and the show continues to exclude certain types of drag. There's been some performers who are cis that think doing drag gives them leeway to use transphobic slurs and that's something that's thankfully received a lot of push back in the community. And of course drag patrons also have a set idea of what drag is and tend to be biased against artists that go against the grain of "man in dress", particularly trans performers, Drag Kings and Genderfuck performers. That said, to say misogyny and transphobia is the point of drag is like saying misogyny and transphobia is the point of Disco. Drag was created by trans women. The drag community has always rallied behind and supported women, especially queer women. And we as a community love to perform gender and femininity. When I'm in drag I feel beautiful, and that's why most drag queens do it. They're celebrating their own fluidity and they're celebrating the art of drag as it's been passed down from trans and gnc people. I attend so many drag charity events. I have friends who've done performances to comment on police brutality, on reproductive rights, and trans liberation. The drag community was there at Stonewall, and they've been fighting ever since. It's a community that aims to protect the marginalized and who's goal has always been to speak truth to power. It really hurts to hear people say that drag comes from a place of misogyny and transphobia when to me, all of this is coming from a place of celebration and a love for gender performance.